It’s been an incredible year for Toronto theatre. We started out with one of the strongest Januarys in recent memory (3 of our eventual Outstanding Production nominees all played simultaneously that month) then rollicked through the spring towards an overwhelmingly popular Fringe (with an emotional goodbye to the iconic Honest Ed’s tent) and arguably the best SummerWorks ever. The Shaw Festival bid farewell to their groundbreaking artistic director of 14 years Jackie Maxwell and welcomed in a world renowned Brit while Mirvish and the National Ballet debuted major works by Canadian creators poised to make their mark internationally (Come From Away is headed to Broadway in a matter of weeks). Dependable indie producer Unit 102 fell victim to the Toronto real estate market and lost its namesake space but found a way to mount their season premiere anyway. The COC ruled the fall with a sublime double bill that gave way to an epic November that played host to more than 40 opening nights. The Second City got political and Bad Dog improvisers tested dramatic waters, both to brilliant effect. Outside the March showed us the future with a production you had to attend at least four times to even start to see the full picture. And now we’re here, nearly 300 productions later, about to start all over again. But, before we do, let’s celebrate the achievements of 2016.

Who Qualifies?
Any production one of our Toronto writers saw between January 1st and December 31st was considered for nomination, unless it was a remount of something we’d already seen (ie: Soulpepper’s Christmas Carol). If the remount has a new cast member, however, that cast member is eligible even if the production as a whole isn’t.

How Do the Divisions Work?
After last year’s success, we decided to bring back the three-division breakdown that allows for more nominees and a more even playing field. We’ve designated each company as either “large”, “medium” or “small” based loosely on budget, audience size and number of shows produced per year. It’s an inexact science but we’ve tried to be as fair as possible.

Who Picks the Winners?
Our Editors and Staff Writers all get a say but we use your votes for tie breakers and to choose a Fan Favourite so be sure to share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #MyTheatreAwards or shoot us an email toronto@myentertainmentworld.ca.

When Are the Winners Announced?
Winners will be announced at the annual MyTheatre Award Party on April 10, 2017.
Our cocktail party will feature the music of our signature band Hand-Picked Favourites and plenty of delicious food.
Then the awards presentation (short and sweet, we promise) hosted by genius sketch duo The Templeton Philharmonic (last year’s Outstanding Sketch Performance winners!)
And we’ll end the night the only way a celebration should end- with a dance party!
More details and official invites to come (so make sure we have your contact info if you’re a nominee).
A full list of the winners will be published on the site the following day.

DON’T FORGET: The Anonymous Award for Outstanding Stage Management
A good stage manager’s work is difficult to appreciate from the audience; we can’t see how tight a ship they run in rehearsal or how many fires they put out along the way. So last year we decided to create this award and turn it over to the people who do see those things- other theatre artists.

If you worked with an incredible stage manager in Toronto (or at Stratford or Shaw) during the 2016 season, we want to hear about them. Send an email to editors@myentertainmentworld.ca with the subject line “SM Nomination: NOMINEE’s NAME” and describe in 100 words why you think they deserve to win (*Please only submit one nomination and respect the word limit). Make sure to include the production details and the nominee’s email address. The winner will be announced with the rest of the awards at the party on April 10, so make sure your nominee shows up!

Nominee Interview Series
If you’re nominated this year (including ensemble and production categories), email editors@myentertainmentworld.ca to sign up for our annual Q&A series.

One Last Thing: especially in technical categories, we are limited by program credits which are often incomplete, misleading or full of typos. If you find an error, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Outstanding Ballet Performance
The Ensemble of Cacti (The National Ballet of Canada)
The Ensemble of The Dreamers Ever Leave You (The National Ballet of Canada/Art Gallery of Ontario)
Evan McKie in Onegin (The National Ballet of Canada)
Dylan Tedaldi in Le Petit Prince (The National Ballet of Canada)
Harrison James in Le Petit Prince (The National Ballet of Canada)
Elena Lobsanova in La Sylphide (The National Ballet of Canada)

Outstanding Performance in a Musical (Small)
Nickeshia Garrick in Echoes (Chaos & Light/Toronto Fringe Festival)
Saphire Demitro in Into the Woods(Hart House Theatre)
Hugh Ritchie in Into the Woods (Hart House Theatre)
Jacquie Martin in The Life (Call It a Day Productions)
Graham Conway in Peter Pan (Bad Hats Theatre)
Scott Garland in Three Men in a Boat(Pea Green Theatre Group/Next Stage Theatre Festival)

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Founded in 2006, My Entertainment World is home to seven branches of entertainment coverage.

With yearly awards, exclusive interviews, editorials, news and reviews, each branch of My Entertainment World features a staff of specialized writers dedicated to bringing the readers the best in entertainment coverage.